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Friday Wrap-Up for September 24, 2021 – News from Delta Force, Dildo, Good Robot, Village Green, Bannerman, Spindrift, Tanner & Co, Propeller, Copper Bottom, Saltbox, Boxing Rock, and lots more!

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-09-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bannerman Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseux d'la Cote, Brightwood Brewery, Brightyard, Canadian Brewing Awards, Change Is Brewing Collective, Copper Bottom Brewing, Delta Force Brewing, Dildo Brewing, Four Rivers Brewing Co., Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, King Street Beer Co., Lightship Brewery, Modern Brewer's Village Green, Moosehead, Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters, Saltbox Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Tanner & Co Brewing, Tapestry Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery. Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again! Oktoberfest is in the air and COVID cases are rising! With kids back in school, lagers in brite tanks, it feels like we’ve been here before, but this time with vaccinations. There are plenty of events to attend across the Atlantic Region over the next few weeks, but as New Brunswick now has proof-of-vaccination in place and reversal of their mask mandate both there and in Newfoundland, it’s more important than ever to check out your province and establishment protocols. We want to enjoy and celebrate our region as much as possible, so let’s all do it safely, with pretzels in hand!

Nova Scotia’s Delta Force Brewing has emerged from the shadows with a pair of releases today, two takes on an oft-overlooked traditional style. Operation Forge – Stock Ale is being released in both a base version, as well as one that hung out in a fresh oak barrel for a short time, picking up both Brett notes as well as the underlying wood character. These complement the caramel profile in the base beer, thanks to the use of invert sugar, created by converting sucrose to a mix of fructose and glucose. As they do not have a retail location, the best way to grab your Stock Ale, and any of their other 8 offerings available, is to fire them an email to order and request home delivery in HRM or the Hwy 101 Corridor. That same email will get you on the exclusive list to hear about the latest releases before the general public, so don’t sleep on that!

From the rock and one of the loveliest locations in Atlantic Canada, Dildo Brewing has 2 new releases available now. First up is Do-X, named after the series of massive flying boats with a storied past and Newfoundland and Italian connections. In the Italian Pilsner style, a delicious twist on the classic German Pils, it was dry hopped with Noble hops late into the lagering, bringing some spicy, herbal notes making it a very zippy and crisp 5% lager.

Second up this week is the collaboration between Dildo and Burchie’s Gourmet Doughnuts. Donuts for Days is a donut stout using a special donut made just for this beer release. A doughnut/pastry Imperial Stout, this beer was aged on some sweet stuff including raspberries, cocoa, marshmallows and bourbon soaked Madagascar vanilla beans. A welcoming imperial stout at 7.8% it provides rich, sweet, decadent flavours. Both of these new releases are available in 473 mL cans and on draft only at the Dildo brewery and the retail store in St. John’s. 

A few pieces of news from the Good Robot family this week as they have a new beer release and a second location on the way. Golden Juniper is a 5% pale ale brewed with juniper additions and balanced with a piney, resinous hop flavour, this is a beer to enjoy with your forest friends. Low-gluten thanks to the addition of enzymes during fermentation, it is available now for pints in the taproom, and in 473 mL cans to go from the brewery or online for delivery

While news and rumours of Good Robot’s second facility in Elmsdale has been around for a few months, they’re holding a meet (or meat) and greet today, Friday, Sept 24, from 3:30 to 7:30 PM at their new location. At 14 Industrial Way, anyone from the local community is welcome to stop by for a BBQ hosted by the Good Robots themselves. No beer just yet, but check out the Facebook event here and swing by Elmsdale if you can!

Never a stranger to putting out new releases and fresh off a Canadian Brewing Awards win (a bronze medal for their Tripel), Village Green is back with Weird Clouds. Part of an ongoing series, this is version 6, featuring a lovely hop blend with classic American stalwarts Centennial and Simcoe alongside the lovely New Zealand variety of Motueka. This one has a very sweet, fluffy, and tropical flavour and comes in at 6.2%. It’s available now on draft in Cornwall and also in 473 mL cans to go. And while you’re there, you can also grab a tasty favourite (at least of ours!), their Milk Stout, which is available now on tap and in cans. 

Hopping north to another island, St. John’s’ Bannerman is back with a new release. Scenic Route is a blueberry kettle sour ale, made with real blueberry purée and a hint of fresh mint! Dry-hopped with Mosaic, this should have a wonderful aroma and freshness. Pouring with a deep maroon-ish colour it is a 5% ale available today in 473 mL cans only at Bannerman, in addition to being on tap for pints and growler fills. 

After opening the location about 8 weeks ago, Spindrift is launching a beer in honour of Spindrift Oak Manor in downtown Antigonish. According to the brewery, X-Port Ale is an ale/lager hybrid with a lower 5.2% ABV for a more sessionable sipper. And whilst you enjoy this golden straw-coloured beer with a slight grainy and estery aroma, be sure to check out the can design, which features a lovely portrait of Antigonish. Available now in 473 mL cans and on tap in Dartmouth and Antigonish. 

Chester’s own Tanner Brewing has a returning favourite you can get now, Altbier is back and it’s mostly what you’d expect. Always a brewery to put a spin on things, this Altbier is brewed in the Sticke Alt style, a maltier and hoppier version of a traditional Altbier. With a lovely balance of caramel and molasses flavours with bitterness, this checks in at 5.7% and 40 IBU and is a welcome addition as fall arrives and many breweries have their darker seasonals coming back into the fold. Available now in 500ml bottles at both Tanner locations in Chester and Chester Basin; also, they still deliver on Fridays into HRM. 

Ahead of the Nocturne Art at Night Festival, taking place in Halifax October 13 – 16, Propeller Brewing has brought back their annual collaborative fundraising Nocturne Black IPA today. Dry-hopped with Amarillo and Falconers Flight, this black beer has a malty backbone of roast and dark chocolate, melding together for a strong 6.7% balanced brew. Available at their 3 Shops in Dartmouth and Halifax, it is joined by a new release of their Mosaic Pale Ale, now in 6 packs, and heading to select NSLC locations next week.

In mixed good/bad news, unfortunately PEI’s Harvest Home Festival has been canceled, due to rising COVID numbers, to keep everyone involved safe. However, the Copper Bottom Tanglewood Harvest Ale will be released this weekend despite the disappointing news. As they say, the show must go on, therefore the launch will coincide with their regularly scheduled Tunes on Tap event at 3 PM on the 26th. Ward MacDonald, Thomas Harrington, and a few special guests will be entertaining the taproom. Part of their GiveBack Initiative, $1 of each can or pint sold goes toward supporting emerging artists in the province through micro-grants. So, about the beer… Tanglewood is a bright and fresh 5.5% American Pale Ale, featuring freshly-picked Comet hops from Mount Albion’s Island Hop Company’s first harvest! Island Malt House Pilsner malt is at the base, along with Cara and Munich malts for more backbone, balancing some great citrus character from the hops. In addition to cans and draught at the source, keep your eyes peeled in Charlottetown and Halifax for taps pouring the good stuff this weekend.

Lots of news from Nova Scotia’s South Shore this week, with a new beer, new charitable initiative, as well as employment opportunities. Saltbox Brewing in Mahone Bay (and their sister locations King Street Beer bridgewater  in Bridgewater and Lightship in Lunenburg) are celebrating Polish Heritage Month in Nova Scotia with the release of The Big Kowalski. Named in honour of Polish-Nova Scotian author William Kowalski, this 4.7% ABV beer features honey from The Little Bee Farm, bringing floral notes on top of a crisp and light brew. TBK hit the taps at all three locations yesterday at 5 PM, so they’re all ready to accept your pint request!

Saltbox and King Street and Lightship are also looking to expand their growing team, and are in search of some full- and part-time taproom servers to add to the fold. Reach out to Tap Room Manager Natasha to learn more!

The latest in Saltbox’s quarterly charitable efforts has been in support of the Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, which in turn supports the local healthcare community through bursaries and equipment finance. After donating nearly $1000 through the Fishermans Memorial Golf Tournament this month, they have installed a kindness meter at Lightship to collect donations that will be passed directly to the hospital. Think Social and Drink Local!

The year 2020 was notable and memorable for many things, one of which was the debut of a Pumpkin beer from Boxing Rock. After years of saying they’d never do it (we’ve heard that before from them!), they decided to hop in. Not wanting to drink the “same old, same old” pumpkin spice beer, they put their own spin on it, and came up with Fuego Habanero Pumpkin Ale. Habanero peppers added in the boil give massive heat character, as well as a pleasant flavour, which is complemented by the hints of cinnamon and a touch of black pepper. The result is a mouth-watering beer that is quite drinkable! Cans of Fuego are available at the brewery and retailers now, and it is joined by the latest release of their Back to Birchtown Old Stock Ale, brewed with their (and our) pals at Change is Brewing Collective, in support of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society.

Oktoberfests and events abound this weekend, with Sackville’s TAPestry holding their big celebration this week and next (with Sausages and give-aways Saturday!)…

Special delivery! St. John’s Bar Brewdock has received 6 beers from the other side of the country, with Burnaby, British Columbia’s Dageraad Brewing sending along a mix of kegs and bottles to East Duck. On draught, Dagvar Czech Pils, Burnabarian Table Beer, and Rainshine Blonde. Seven Saison, State of Nature IPA, and Maroc Ale are available in house or to go with food purchase. And keep an eye on their Social Media for more details on their Oktoberfest which kicks off Tuesday Sept 28 and runs all week.

In Dartmouth, Brightwood Brewery, their Waterfront Beergarden, as well as BrightYard will be tapping kegs and casks all weekend to celebrate the season. Sausages from Vessel Meats, special treats from the smoker, and more! Learn more here, and get out to enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts!

While still a couple of months away, tickets for the Newfoundland Craft Beer Festival’s 12 Beer of Christmas are selling fast, so we suggest you grab yours to avoid disappointment… Your ticket for this November 27th event (with includes many more than just 12 beers, btw) gets you into the St. John’s Farmers Market to eat, drink, and be merry!

And while you’re at it, be sure to keep March 25 and 26, 2022 clear, as this is when the NL Craft Beer Festival makes their triumphant return after the setbacks the last 19 months. Tickets for that event are also on sale and will not last much longer, we reckon! Also taking place in the St. John’s Farmers Market, look for a West Coast celebration to be happening in 2022 as well!

Just a coupla quick hits before we let you go:

Concerned by the Proof of Vaccination for Non-essential Activities policy coming to Nova Scotia October 4th? Let Garrison help assuage that a little bit by dropping down to their taproom with a printed copy of your proof of vaccination, and they’ll laminate it for you! No more fears of dropping it in your beer or it getting too wrinkled to read. May we suggest also having a copy in your recent photos on your phone too, just in case…

Moncton’s Tire Shack Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest this weekend (and next), as well as the return of their award-winning The Wicker Man Pumpkin Lager… And they have even more reason to celebrate, as co-owner Jerrica Kennedy was recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton and the Hub City Young Professionals Network as one of Moncton’s Top 20 under 40! Making a difference in the city through activities inside and out of their business pursuits is what garnered the accomplishment. Congratulations Jer and the entire Tire Shack team!

In case you missed our post Monday, the results from the 19th Annual Canadian Brewing Awards were announced on the weekend, and the region’s brewers did quite well. Punching well above their weight were Prince Edward Island’s Copper Bottom and Village Green, earning 4 medals between them, with Grimross leading the charge for New Brunswick, taking home 3 of the 6 medals in the province (Brasseux d’la Cote, Four Rivers, and Moosehead round out the NB winners). Rough Waters took home half of Newfoundland and Labrador’s 4 medals (Port Rexton and Quidi Vidi grabbed one each), and Nova Scotian medals were evenly split between Garrison, Propeller, Tatamagouche, and Uncle Leo’s. Congratulations to all of the winners!

 

Friday Wrap-Up for September 3, 2021 – News from Tire Shack, Change is Brewing, New Scotland, Lunn’s Mill, Baccalieu Trail, Serpent, Candid, Bannerman, Tusket Falls, 2 Crows and more!

Posted by acbbdamian on 2021-09-03
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2 Crows Brewing, Baccalieu Trail Brewing, Bannerman Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Boxing Rock Brewing, Candid Brewing, Change Is Brewing Collective, Garrison Brewing, Lunn's Mill Beer Company, New Scotland Brewing, Saltbox Brewing, Serpent Brewing, Tire Shack Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Tusket Falls Brewing. 2 comments

Happy Friday! Hoping you all stayed safe and dry over the past couple of days as Hurricane Ida’s last gasps were felt in the region. With Labour Day coming Monday, many of us will be enjoying the day off, which means your favourite brewery taproom could be on reduced hours as well, to give employees a break. So be sure to check in before making the trek out. The Nova Scotia and PEI Provincial Liquor stores will be closed, fyi, no tweets from ANBL for 4 months…

Let’s kick off this week’s news in Moncton, New Brunswick, where Tire Shack Brewery has brought back their US Open Beer Championship Gold Medal winning Tiki Bar Lime Margarita Gose. At 6.0% ABV, it features massive lime flavour and aroma, with a touch of salinity to keep it refreshing, all on a lovely tart base. Look for that on draught, and should be in cans to go as well. If you time your visit today after work just right, you’ll also be able to try two brand new casks that are hitting the bar top at 5 PM: The first is a Hazelnut Stout, think of Nutella with nice roast coffee accentuating the chocolate notes. The second cask is a Cream Ale, aged on Green Tea, which should lend some lovely floral notes without any tannins. These are both one-offs, so be sure to pop in if you like the sound of them!! 

And on Sunday, Tire Shack is opening their kitchen space to Birria Dave’s, who is a frequent pop-up at Riverfront Market, and will be bringing some great Mexican street food options to John Street from 1 PM. While Birria is right in their name, other options include corn and mushroom, as well as other cool flavours. We can think of a few cool pairings to be done with Dave’s food and Tire Shack’s beer! Remember, Tire Shack’s taproom is Bring Your Own Food the rest of the time, so feel free to bring a meal from one of the many take-out spots nearby, or have something ordered in.

The great folks from the Change is Brewing Collective returned to Boxing Rock this week, to brew up the second version of their Back to Birchtown Stock Ale collaboration, in support of the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, located in Birchtown, just outside of Shelburne. Look for that to be released in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, those who are interested in learning how to make your own beer should subscribe to Change is Brewing’s YouTube page, where they have posted the first in their Brew 101 series, helping you make some great beer at home. They are joined by Stefan of BrewCulture, a familiar face to those familiar with the NS Beer Scene 🙂 BrewCulture has donated a few kits that Change is Brewing is passing along to those members of the community. Contact them to start your journey into homebrewing!

Dartmouth’s New Scotland Brewing Company is bringing the hops this week with the release of Triple Threat, a 9.9% ABV triple dry-hopped TIPA (that’s Triple IPA!). This one starts off with Citivia hops in the boil and whirlpool. A newer hop on the Atlantic Canada brew scene, Citivia was bred specifically for use in hazy styles of IPA and features prominent stone fruit notes. The triple dry-hop comes from three separate additions of, in order, Talus, Centennial, and finally, Galaxy. This hazy Triple IPA is available today at the Downtown Dartmouth taproom and in cans to-go.

Down in the ‘other Lawrencetown’ Lunn’s Mill is releasing Au Bout Dah, their take on a Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Coming in at 8.0% ABV, expect floral hop notes and from the St. Lucifer yeast, some fruity banana esters This style is known for its scrubbing and effervescent carbonation which also makes it a great companion for richer, fattier foods. Cans of Au Bout Dah are available now at the taproom and through the brewery’s online store.

Jumping up to Newfoundland, Baccalieu Trail Brewing is releasing Undertow, its take on a Strong Dark Mild. Expect some cozy flavours of dark fruit, toffee and molasses, in a style that is made for enjoying as the evenings get colder. If a trip to the brewery in Bay Roberts is not in the cards, you can find cans of Undertow at Marie’s Mini Marts in the greater St. John’s area.   

The Pride of Spryfield, Serpent Brewing, continues their Beer Creation Experience releases with Derailleur Helles. Dreamt up by avid cyclist and local Jon, who was looking for the perfect beer to enjoy after tackling the Sambro Loop on two wheels. This 4.6% German Lager is light and refreshing, with enough character to keep you coming back for more. Available on draught for pints and growlers, and in bottles very shortly. And don’t forget, the Mary Brown’s next door is now open, as Serpent’s taproom is perfect for a BYOF session.

Antigonish’s Candid Brewing Company is sharing a sentiment posed by this blog a few weeks ago – “would someone please tell all of these pumpkin beers that it is still summer?” Their ode to summer not being over is Glory Days, a 4% ale brewers with Pilsner malt from Shoreline Malting and hopped exclusively with Sabro, giving those signature notes of coconut and pineapple. Glory Days is a taproom only release and will be available just in time for their Sunday Celtic session, happening at the taproom from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, with onsite food also available from the Boneyard.

East Duck’s Bannerman Brewing has released a special beer this morning, partnering with Nevaeh’s Angel Foundation, releasing an adult version of Nevaeh’s Lemonade. A lemon and lime sour, with a wheat-heavy base, this 5.0% beer is available now on tap and in cans, and keep your eyes open for news on upcoming events to celebrate Nevaeh’s Lemonade Stand.

Tusket Falls Brewing, way down the South Shore of Nova Scotia in Tusket, of all places, has a brand new beer and some big news to boot this week. First, the beer. The name Creamsicle Sour is pretty self-explanatory, we think, but for those who didn’t have a childhood (or don’t remember it), it’s a sour that gets a distinct orange citrus and slightly tropical vibe from generous dry hopping with Citra and El Dorado hops and a sweet and creamy vanilla presence from lactose and vanilla beans. Sound like a cream-filled orange frozen treat to you? This one is far less likely to drip down your hands, and we wouldn’t advise putting a popsicle stick in it, but by all means enjoy it on a hot day! It’s available at the brewery on tap and in cans to go.

As for the big news, keep your eyes on their Socials (Fb/Ig), as they’re mere hours away from announcing the opening of their North End Halifax Taproom and retail location, at 2220 Gottingen Street. Like, any second now, we figure! With a dozen taps, retail and merch to go, this will give fans of Tusket Falls in HRM somewhere to call home, without needing to make the 2.5 hour drive!

Events continue to slowly spring up around the region; here’s hoping that trend is able to continue throughout September!

Just when you thought you didn’t need another excuse to drink some delicious 2 Crows beers this weekend, the brewery has decided to throw a thank you to all of its thirsty customers with a sale on flats of 24 cans. For this weekend only, flats of Dos Cuervos (their take on a Mexican Lager), Tiny Dancer (hoppy table beer), and Matinee (tiny pale ale) are $50 each. Take advantage by dropping by the taproom on Brunswick Street or ordering online for home delivery. 

Speaking of 2 Crows, a reminder that they will be skipping across the water to St. John’s in a couple of weeks, when they take over the taps at Bar Brewdock in East Duck, St. John’s Sept 17. With 24 taps a-flowin’, including at least 2 one-offs only available that evening, and a great menu to pair, it’s sure to be a great time. As space is limited with COVID and all that, this will be a ticketed event, and those tickets are on sale now! Head to Brewdock to grab your tickets, which include the first pour in your own glass to take home at the end of the evening.

Lunenburg’s Lightship Brewery, with arguably the best view of the iconic South Shore town, is continuing their series of live concerts with a massive long weekend of outdoor shows, including Matt Mays, Jenn Grant, and Tim Baker, so scoop up the remaining tickets or ask to be added to the waitlist… And just announced is the September 24 Ashley MacIsaac show, which is sure to be a crowd pleaser, given his high intensity performances. Open for Ashley is Steve MacIntyre, a songwriter and storyteller from Cape Breton. Grab those tickets here!

Is it just us or are our quick hits never really that quick? Oh well, here’s this week’s lone entry:

Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has brought back their Lucky Punk Sour IPA, and is giving it a wider distribution than ever! This tart, hazy, golden IPA features loads of Amarillo, Mosaic, and Bru-1 hops on a sour base, for a cool melding of tropical and citrus hop character with a zippy finish. Available at Garrison’s Seaport and Oxford retail shops, it is also on the shelves at the NSLC and private stores in town, and in ANBL locations from Saint John to Miramichi!

And we finish up the week with a single brewery job to tell you about, but it’s a juicy one!

Are you an experienced commercial brewer in the Atlantic Region (or willing to relocate here) who’s always wondered what it would be like to frolic, Scrooge McDuck-like, in a vault full of hops? Well you might be in luck. Trailway Brewing, who have been growing consistently since they opened in 2014, are known above all for their wide array of hop bombs, and they’re also looking for a new Lead Brewer. Based on the published job description, the job won’t be limited to brewing hoppy styles though: this position will be in charge of managing the funky and sour side of the house as well! If smashing out hoppy bangers while slowly developing well-cultured beers on the side sounds like your jam, you can indicate your interest by emailing your resume and cover letter to info@trailwaybrewing.com or dropping it off at the tasting room in Fredericton.

Friday Wrap-Up for August 13, 2021 – News from Rough Waters, Bannerman, Quidi Vidi, Big Spruce, Truro, Gridiron, Good Robot, Lone Oak, Brewdock, North, Village Green, and Propeller

Posted by acbbdevon on 2021-08-13
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bannerman Brewing, Bar Brewdock, Big Spruce Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, Gridiron Brewing, Lone Oak Brewing, Modern Brewer's Village Green, North Brewing, Propeller Brewing, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Rough Waters Brewing, Truro Brewing Company. 2 comments

It’s Pride Week around the region with Halifax and Fredericton kicking off their celebrations and Cape Breton just wrapping up theirs. While we featured some Pride themed releases in last week’s post, keep an eye out for other ways you can celebrate! Meanwhile, the beer news doesn’t stop and we’ve got updates from all around the region. Also, it’s Friday the 13th, so kick back this weekend, beat the heat and make sure to check our Instagram stories to see if anyone of us is watching Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan. Meanwhile, read below for ACBeerBlog takes beer news! 

Let’s start today’s new beer news on the West Coast of our Easternmost province. Rough Waters Brewing, in Deer Lake, has a new beer on tap and in cans this week, a low alcohol beer punching well above its weight in hops. Total Eclipse is a 3.4% India Session Ale/Session IPA showcasing the Australian Eclipse hop. TE uses a grain bill with plenty of Wheat and Oats to enhance the mouthfeel despite its lower ABV, and using a lower attenuating yeast (Fermentis SafAle S-33) helps in that department as well, keeping it from drying out too much. But the star of the show are the Aussie hops: while a small addition of Chinook was added for light bittering, the rest is Eclipse, both during the whirlpool (post-boil before complete cooling), as well as dry-hopping in the fermenter. The resulting beer is light and juicy, and full of tangerine and grapefruit flavour. It’s available on tap and in cans at their taproom at 83 Wights Rd in Deer Lake, with cans at Ultramars in town and West Street Corner Brook, as well as Urban Market 1919 and a whole buncha Marie’s Mini Marts in St. John’s!

Bannerman has a new beer out this week that is sure to entice Tobias Fünke and other fans of blue beer from around the Avalon. Surf’s Up is a 6.5% ABV fruited sour that gets its deep blue color the all-natural way, from a blue-green algae called spirulina. Hopped with Vic Secret, and also featuring an addition of lactose, expect bright tropical flavours of passion fruit, lychee, and coconut. This one hit the shelves and taps at the taproom yesterday, but was so popular that cans and growler fills quickly sold out. Swing by Duckworth St. this weekend to try a pint before it’s gone.

Let’s head down the Gut from Bannerman, where Quidi Vidi Brewery has two new releases. First up is Oceanside Session IPA. Brewed in partnership with the Avalon Mountain Bike Association (AMBA), this 4.5% take on the style features notes of citrus and stone fruit, with a hint of vanilla and pine. A portion of the sales of each can will help AMBA improve local trail infrastructure on the Avalon. Oceanside is available now at the hop shop in Quidi Vidi and will be available at NLC locations beginning on Monday. And if you’re making your way to the taproom, you’ll also find a new fruited sour, released exclusively for draft pours: Strawberry Rhubarb Sour combines a jammy strawberry profile with tart rhubarb notes for a drinking experience that the brewery describes as ‘nan’s homemade pie’ in your glass.

Back in Cape Breton, Big Spruce is featuring a new release this week and the return of an interesting seasonal. First up is The Wanderers, a brand new 4.1% ABV golden ale. This sessionable sipper was brewed to provide a crisp and dry drinking experience, with notes of lemon, pear and cracker. A Citra dry-hop also adds some tropical aromatics. The name Wanderers is an homage to the eponymous HRM hiking group (as opposed to the local football club or the classic 1979 film). 

If you’re in the mood for something a bit more complex to consider, check out Hour of Sour, a 6.2% Raspberry Wild Ale. For fans of the ever popular Silver Tart, think of this one as its slightly wilder and funkier cousin. The mixed fermentation provides this one with some subtle funky notes, leading to a beer that drinks like a sparkling rose, with big notes of raspberry. Cans are available now at the Sprucetique and for delivery through their online store.

In Truro, we have some exciting news on two releases after a small hiatus from Truro Brewing Company. After high demand and being out of beer for a few days, they are open now and have a Sabro SMASH IPA on tap. This single malt and single hop IPA features the lovely Sabro hop loaded with stone fruit and melon aroma. It is 5.8% and available only on tap

Second up is a bottle release coming from their Hubtown Homebrew Competition Winner Derek “Woody” Wood, Waynze Grodziskie. A Grodziskie is a traditional Polish wheat beer that is low ABV and crispy but with a definite smoky presence. Imagine a beer that pairs beautifully with a cheese board on a patio on a hot summer day. It may sound odd, but we can assure you it’s delightful, and using 100% oak smoked malt and a low-alpha hop variety the Truro offering is true to style, coming in at 3.8%. Both of these new releases are available today only from the brewery, with the Grodziskie in bottles and the IPA only on tap for pints and fills. Pick them up while supplies last!

Happy news for those in the Hampton, New Brunswick, neck of the woods (or looking for an excuse to head there), Gridiron Brewing has opened their taproom! Located at 1051 Main Street, they’re open from noon daily, and closing at 6ish Sun/Mon/Tues, with later times Wed through Sat (8 or 9). You can check out their current taplist to see what’s available to enjoy onsite or to take away. No better place to enjoy their Beach Road Rhubarb, a hefeweizen infused with loads of locally-grown rhubarb for a fruity and lightly tart summer wheat beer. Congratulations on the opening, and we’ll have details of their Grand Opening in the coming weeks!

Always pushing the envelope of what’s allowable (remember those condoms seized at the border a few years back?), Good Robot Brewing is at it again! Forget paying big influencers to spend a day in the taproom and drinking their beer, and then blowing up their social media, they want to pay YOU to do it! In a world where nearly all of us have a social media presence of some sort, apparently GRBC thinks we can all be microinfluencers… And instead of being paid in 1 Exposure (equivalent to 17 Schrute Bucks or 34 Stanley Nickels), they’ll give you cold, hard, Canadian cash (or EMT equivalent). There is plenty of Fine Print, and Even Finer Print, but the gist is all you have to do is buy one of the beer/seltzers they are looking to promote, post about it, and wait for the cash to roll* in!
* In the name of keeping expectations in line with reality, we note that Loonies are round and thus roll quite well.

As we’ve alluded to a couple of times in the last few weeks, there’s starting to be some actual in-person events going on in the beer scene in our region thanks to the relaxation of restrictions that good behavior and vaccination numbers have been able to afford us. It seems fitting that one upcoming event is one borne out of a collaboration that was significantly affected by the pandemic.

In early 2020, Lone Oak in Borden-Carleton, PE, and 2 Crows in Halifax, NS, decided they wanted to brew a “fun beer” together. Unfortunately, lockdowns hit and their dream of an in-person brewday were scuttled. But ever the creative bunch, they decided to come up with a way to do a remote collaboration that would still give people the chance to taste both of their efforts. Settling on a Wild Ale brewed with rice, each brewery brewed a batch using the same recipe and then fermented in oak with their respective house yeast cultures. When travel restrictions were initially relieved in Summer 2020, 2 Crows sent a tote of their batch to the Island where it was blended with the Lone Oak batch and packaged in 500 mL bottles. Now, a year later, they’re ready to celebrate the release of that blend, Together, along with their own unblended version, Apart.

Today at 4 PM at the Lone Oak taproom you can try both of these beers along with your LO faves and five guest taps from 2C: Fantacity, Matinee, Terry, Dos Cuervos, and Jamboree. There will be live music from 7 – 10 PM, an oyster bar, and some special dishes out of the kitchen from Chef Acorn. There’s no cover, but reservations are recommended due to reduced capacity (call the taproom at 902.729.2228). So if you’re in the area, come on down and have a fun Friday evening trying the new collab beers and some treats from the mainland, or just grab some bottles to go. And for those in Halifax, we’re sure we’ll also see Together at 2 Crows’ Halifax taproom soon along with their own version of Apart soon enough.

And speaking of 2 Crows and Island Tap Takeovers, those in St. John’s should clear their schedule for September 17th, as the birds are flying over to East Duck for the day, with 2 Crows teaming up with the crew at Bannerman Brewing for an in-person collaboration brewday, and then taking over the taps with plenty of faves and even some special brews put together specifically for an evening on the taps at Brewdock across the street. We’ll give you more details as they come into focus, but until then, pencil pen it in the calendar!

A couple more new/returning beer to share before we sign off this week!

Just in time for this ridiculously humid weather, North Brewing is re-releasing Raspberry Plush, part of its Plush series of fruited sours. This one comes in at 4.5% ABV and features big raspberry flavours and a lively tartness. Grab some cans today at North’s two retail locations or through their online store. Raspberry Plush is released once a year, so if you miss out on this batch, you’re out of luck until 2022.

Modern Brewer’s Village Green in Cornwall, PEI, has a new beer on tap and in cans today, Three Oat Stout. At 5.8% ABV, it features Maris Otter as a base, with three different oat variants (malted, flaked, and Golden Naked), plus the necessary dark and roasted malts. Dark chocolate and coffee notes abound with a great mouthfeel. Pop by this weekend to grab a pint and/or can!

Looking to get into the beer biz? This might just be the job for you…

You’ve got big shoes to fill, but if marketing for breweries is your thing, Propeller Brewing in Halifax/Dartmouth is hiring a Marketing Manager to help spread the word of their beer and mixed drinks near and far. Answering to the big cheeses of the company, you’ll have your hands in everything from online, print, radio marketing, handling the Socials, take part in Prop tables and booths at beer fests and other events, and plenty more. If that sounds like your cup of tea, check that link for all of the details, and apply today! Just beware we’ll probably bug you for all the nerdy beer info when it’s time. 😉